Creek Length: About 1 3/4 miles from Sterling Lake to confluence with Beartrap River. About 2 additional miles south of Sterling Lake beginning at an unnamed lake deep in the Sundial Primitive Management Area

Campsites: Unknown

Wildlife Seen on Visit: Never visited

Last Visited: Never

Creek Elevation: Sterling Creek begins in a bog about 2 miles south of Sterling Lake at about 1430 feet. This bog is about a mile north of Old Squaw Lake. Sterling Creek has its mouth in the Beartrap River at about 1250 feet.

Water Clarity: N/A

Fire History: 1996, 1894, 1875, 1864 and 1822

OVERVIEW

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Sterling Creek

This creek makes a good early season route when the water is high. There used to be a 160 rod portage before entering Sterling Lake. Sterling Creek also flows into Sterling Lake from the south, towards its western end. From Sterling Lake, paddlers can paddle south, in an upstream direction, deep into the Sundial Primitive Management Area. Much of the upper part of Sterling Creek is also navigable. The upper part of Sterling Creek, south of Sterling Lake may also be a route consideration for masochists interested in reaching Sundial Lake.

The area south and southwest of Sunday Lake was most recently burned by the White Feather Lake fire in 1996. This fire scorched about 4,750 acres and started along the east side of White Feather Lake and traveled east/northeast through the area where Sundial Lake is located; then continued to just west of Sunday Lake. Prior to 1996, a number of fires affected the area in the 1800's. The portion of Sterling Creek that is upstream of Sterling Lake passes right through the heart of this fire scar.

The known fires in this region were the 1894 fires (possibly two of them) that are known as the Oriniack/Sioux River/Lac La Croix/Crooked Lake complex and the Chad/Cummings/Lac La Croix/Crooked Lake complex. In 1875 the Mule Creek/Sterling Lake/Sunday Lake/Crooked Lake complex burned much of the area. Eleven years prior to that, in 1864, the Little Indian Sioux River/Lac La Croix/Crooked Lake complex burned here. The oldest fire known to affect the area occurred in 1822 and is referred to as the Hook Lake/Hegman Lake/Crooked Lake complex.

Paddling Sterling Creek

The creek begins in a bog about three and a half miles south of Sterling Lake. About two miles upstream, but south of Sterling Lake, the creek flows out of a fairly large and shallow unnamed lake. It is possible to paddle almost the entire way to this unnamed lake which will take you truly to the middle of this primitive management area. The last 60 rods due south to the unnamed lake will require some bushwhacking. Sterling Creek begins another mile or so south of the unnamed lake. It flows in the south end of the unnamed lake and out the north end of it on its journey to Sterling Lake. Even south of the unnamed lake (upstream), much of Sterling Creek is still navigable. East of Sterling Lake, Sterling Creek flows with a timid current into the Beartrap River. Just before flowing into the Beartrap River, another small creek drains into Sterling Creek along its southern bank. This creek can be followed much of the way out to Sundial Lake.